1.23.2009

A Series of Unfortunate (and fortunate) Events

Unfortunate event #1: Waking up to get ready for work. I don’t understand people who claim they will continue to work after they retire. If you don’t have to, then why? Even crazier than these are the ones who win goo gobs of money in the lottery (enough to support them for the rest of their lives if they don’t buy 10 McMansions and a fleet of silver plated cars) and they still work. Why would you if you didn’t have to? See the world! Become a hard body at the gym. Read every book and watch every movie you ever wanted to but couldn’t because you didn’t have the time. Cruise on a freighter!

Unfortunate event #2: A couple of my car’s tires have slow leaks. The cold weather has made it worse (I think). The blinka-blinka light is coming on every couple of weeks and I decided it’s better to pay attention and fill the tires than to go “la la la” and close my ears (or rather, cover my eyes, but that doesn’t work so well when you’re driving). I got my air compressor out, plugged it into the lighter, connected it to the tire valve and turned it on. I checked the other tires and went upstairs to fill my Thermos with coffee (and chemically altered creamer, and sugar)

Unfortunate event #3: I went back downstairs, disconnected the compressor, screwed the cap back onto the valve, put on my coat, got into the car, shut the door, stuck the key into the ignition and turned it—

*click*click* came the response. Crap.

Taking care of #2, had inadvertently caused #3, a battery with enough life to power the lights but also too dead to start the car.

Which led to

Fortunate event #1: I went back upstairs to tell my husband he had to take me to the train station. He asked me to get our daughter ready.

Fortunate event #2: She complied, mostly with getting dressed. The only argument came when we got to the shoes.

“Go get your black shoes.” I said.“But I wanna wear the brown” she replied.“But the black shoes go with your black pants.”“But the brown shoes go with my brown face.”(you can’t really argue with that, so I didn’t try)

Fortunate event #3: I went to my bedroom and laughed. Hard.

Fortunate event #4: She put on the black shoes anyway.

Fortunate event #5: Instead of driving me to the train station, my husband drove me all the way to work.